Latrobe Art Center gives residents a dose of nostalgia

A parade in honor of John Brallier, one of the first professional football players in the 1890s, stopped in front of the Manos Theater on Main Street, Latrobe.

Harry Frye

Stewart's Mobil Service Station, intersection of Weldon and Ligonier streets.

Harry Frye

The Grand Theatre, Main Street, 1950s.

Harry Frye

The Welcome Meat Market, with the owner David Crowe and many of the children from the area, at 1554 Ligonier St. At the corner of James and Ligonier streets, the building is now the site of florist the Floral Fountain.

Harry Frye

Interior of the Central Bar, on the corner of Ligonier and Depot streets, July 1945.

Harry Frye

Strickler's Drug Store, Ligonier Street (home of the first banana split), March 1955.

The exhibit coincides with the city's lavish July 4 celebration that marks our nation's birthday with ongoing activities through the Fourth.

In most cases, Mr. Frye's images serve as a slice of America in depicting small-town life in the days of family-operated corner drugstores, white-capped soda jerks, main street movie theaters, independent dress shops, diners with shiny linoleum floors and counter stools -- images of which appear in the collection.

There is also a picture of locally-owned Kamps Shoe Store, which occupied the site now housing the art center.

"A lot of people come in and say they bought shoes here," gallery assistant Ginny Hutchinson said. "The photographs really get people talking about the old days."

Among the photographs are a delivery car for prescription medicine parked at Stricklers Drug Store; children and store owner posed in front of The Welcome Meat Market and swimmers at Patty's swimming hole in Old Loyalhanna Creek.

There is also a photograph of the Bell Telephone switchboard center with rows of female operators. The center was located at Ligonier and Depot streets. There is a photo of Ligonier Street from the railroad overpass with the Loyal Hotel on the left and Rolling Rock Brewery in the background and a parade in front of the Manos Theater with Fred MacMurray starring in "Father was a Fullback" on the marquee.

"I love the old town. I feel bad that all the buildings are gone,'' Kathy Rafferty said. The artist and vice president of the art center's board of directors grew up in Latrobe.

The nonprofit art center, which opened in 2002, offers classes, exhibits, workshops, children's camps, performances, events, cafe and community partnerships. Memberships are available.

Mr. Frye, 89, worked for the Bulletin from 1950 to 1964. In his agreement with the publisher, he retained ownership of the photographs.

To make them available for sale, he and his brother, Robert Frye, 80, formed Fantastic Fotographica.

The art center exhibit was purchased by Ms. Nastuck and the the Town Planner agency, which plans to publish some in its 2014 calendar.

Once the exhibit ends, Ms. Nastuck will use the photographs for fundraising purposes.

The gallery is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday.